College Baseball Roundup: Flores, Kriske help USC end drought in Arizona

A triple by Dante Flores keyed a three-run seventh inning, and pitcher Brooks Kriske closed out USC’s 4-1 win over Arizona in the opener of a key Pac-12 Conference series Thursday night in Tucson.

It’s the first time the eighth-ranked Trojans (23-6 overall, 5-2 Pac-12) have won in Tucson since 2009 and it snapped a six-game winning streak for the Wildcats (22-7, 7-3).

Tied 1-1, Timmy Robinson (Ocean View High ) started USC’s seventh-inning rally with a leadoff single, then scored the go-ahead run on Flores’ triple off the center field wall. Blake Lacey’s single up the middle scored Flores, then Bobby Stahel (2 for 4) hit into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded to cap the scoring.

USC starter Brent Wheatley (Orange Lutheran) held Arizona to two hits and one run – Scott Kingery’s solo home run in the third inning – despite issuing eight walks in 5-2/3 innings. Kriske retired 10 of 11 batters in 3-1/3 innings to earn his second win.

Oregon State 3, No. 9 UCLA 2: Chris Keck’s two-out RBI single to right field gave UCLA life in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Luke Heimlich struck out Nick Valaika looking to end the game at Jackie Robinson Stadium. UCLA (21-6, 8-2) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when Darrell Miller Jr.’s double to right scored Kort Peterson from first base on an OSU error. Former Beckman High standout James Kaprielian was sharp through five innings, before getting into trouble in the sixth. Gabe Clark's single through the left side scored KJ Hendrix with the tying run, then Kaprielian loaded the bases before giving way to Cody Poteet. Poteet walked Michael Howard to score the go-ahead run, then OSU (22-7, 5-2) tacked on another run in the ninth when Christian Donahue's sacrifice fly scored Caleb Hamilton. Kaprielian (6-2) allowed five hits and was charged with two unearned runs in 5-2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out nine. UCLA was held to five hits. Oregon State’s Andrew Moore (3-1) struck out eight and allowed one unearned run over 7-2/3 innings. The game was a pitchers’ duel early, with both starters dominating the scoreless first four innings. Kaprielian struck out seven through the first four frames, allowing just two hits. Moore allowed no hits, while striking out four over the same span.

Cal Poly (SLO) 5, CS Fullerton 0: Brian Mundell hit two solo home runs, Ryan Drobny added a two-run shot off the right-field foul pole and Casey Bloomquist scattered six hits over 7-2/3 scoreless innings as Cal Poly (10-16, 1-0 Big West) took the opener of a three-game series at Goodwin Field. Fullerton All-American Thomas Eshelman (3-3), who came into the game with a 1.93 ERA, allowed four runs (three earned) and six hits in six innings with no walks and one strikeout. Tyler Stieb had two of the Titans’ six hits, and Josh Vargas had a leadoff triple in the seventh, but Fullerton (14-14, 2-2) stranded at least one baserunner in every inning (10 overall). Mundell’s homers started and capped the scoring for Cal Poly.

UC Irvine 15, UC Riverside 5: Mitchell Holland had two hits and a career-high four RBI, Andrew Martinez hit his team-high seventh home run with three RBI and John Brontsema had a career-high four hits, as the surging Anteaters (16-10, 4-0 Big West) followed their 13-run outburst on Tuesday with a season-high 15 against host UCR. Mikey Duarte and Keston Hiura each had a career-high three RBI, and Jonathan Muñoz drove in a pair of runs with one hit off the bench as UCI won its 10th in a row and 13th out of 14. Elliot Surrey settled down after UCI fell into an early 4-1 hole, then Martinez’s three-run homer capped the Anteaters’ seven-run third inning and they cruised from there. Surrey at one point retired 14 consecutive batters and finished with seven strikeouts in eight innings. UCR dropped to 10-20, 0-4.

Long Beach State 3, CS Northridge 2: The 49ers (15-10, 2-2 Big West) took advantage of some early CSUN miscues and held on down the stretch to take the series opener at Blair Field. Kyle Friedrichs (San Clemente High) earned his fifth win and Ty Provencher delivered a four-out save to secure the win. Long Beach had just six hits but went ahead, 3-0, through four innings. Zack Domingues singled with one out in the first, then two wild pitches and a passed ball later, he sprinted home for the game’s first run. CSUN starter Calvin Copping’s third of four wild pitches scored Tristan Mercadel in the second inning. Mercadel advanced to third on an errant pickoff throw in the fourth and scored on Jonathan Serven’s sacrifice fly. Provencher stopped a bases-loaded threat in the top of the eighth with an inning-ending strikeout, then pitched a scoreless ninth. Friedrichs allowed one earned run and four hits with five strikeouts and no walks in 6-1/3 innings. Long Beach left the bases loaded in the fifth inning when Northridge’s Justin Toerner made a catch while crashing into the center-field wall. CSUN is 20-8, 1-3.

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